M. Clark
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mcwrites27.bsky.social
M. Clark
@mcwrites27.bsky.social
90 followers 82 following 480 posts
31 | nonbinary queer | they/them | Seattle | writer | illustrator

Genres: Southern gothic, queer YA, paranormal thriller, historical fiction

Current Project: Canary (Wordcount: 184,000/150,000!!)

NO AI - WE VALUE REAL ARTISTS AND WRITERS HERE
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mcwrites27.bsky.social
M. Clark @mcwrites27.bsky.social · May 11
#tropemap for my current #WIP Canary, a Southern Gothic Queer YA Paranormal Thriller #writesky #queerwriters #amdrafting
A trope map for the current novel project of author M. Clark. Tropes are as follows - Fat female main character, undiagnosed autism and OCD, codependent lesbian situationship, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer", ultimate betrayal, late bloomer fem-cel girl fail, "my muse, my destruction", southern gothic queer teen lit, H/C/H, reluctant medium, never escaping the accusations, dark pasts. The YA novel is a queer paranormal thriller with light horror and suspense, heavy themes of negative mental health and body image as it effects relationships, PTSD from childhood trauma, and parentification/adultification.
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The #WIPSnip Word of the Day is 'delay' - this scene is a perfect high wire to show growing tension between Katie and Logan, but also hints at some unspoken feelings between the girls as well.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity
The WIP Snip Word of the Day is 'delay' - the following is a scene from my novel WIP Canary featuring the word of the day - Bekah stuck out her pinky towards me and shook it in my direction. I locked mine with hers, never blinking as I looked in her eyes and shook it affirmatively. I meant every word. The connection I felt with Bekah as a best friend was everything to me. I would kill Logan if he ever stole her light from this world. He didn't appreciate the amazing person he had. She'd been a permanent installment in his life so long that he'd forgotten her value. After a long pause, Bekah kicked at the concrete. She twiddled her thumbs with her lips puckered as she looked around, as if delaying the inevitable. I could feel it coming, like I could read her mind. Around came her goofy grin and brows high on her forehead. "Does that mean you'll come to the Homecoming dance, or…?"
September 27, 2026 at 5:37 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The #SundaySnips Word of the Week is 'turn' - minor CW for descriptions of teen drinking - sometimes the best fun you can have is breaking curfew to party in the woods around a bonfire. This scene is a tried and true warning of the dangers and delights of the mixed punch bowl.
The Sunday Snips word of the week is 'turn' - the following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring the word of the week - minor content warning for descriptions of teen drinking - The night started to turn to blurry smears of light and laughter with each sip of the barn booze Tommy had handed me. Bekah was right. It tasted like water and sweet tea and knocked the sense right out of you. I only realized when I was gripping the hay bale under me for stability and kept swaying and laughing to myself. Bekah eventually loosened up, too.
September 27, 2026 at 5:33 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
My #AwesomeCharacters Katie and Bekah share a lot of hobbies which drew them together. Katie would most likely spend her free afternoon sipping coffee admiring the view, but she's an old soul. Bekah might be out hunting with her family or writing together with Katie.
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🌱🫜 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🪻 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 14h
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

It's a Saturday afternoon so let's relax a bit! What does your character do just for fun?

No plot events hanging over them, no outside forces driving them, just a free afternoon. What are they filling it with?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 27, 2026 at 4:14 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The #WIPSnip Word of the Day is 'observe' - a word and a major them in my story. Here, we see an experience of Katie's power as a medium who can live through memories of the dead but only in the space of her dreams.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity
The WIP Snip word of the day is 'observe' - the following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring the word of the day - When I opened my—her?—eyes, my back was against the trunk of a tall tree. I felt my body move on its own, the girl using my dreams to bring a memory to life. In that moment, I was nothing more than an observer through her eyes and body. A daring glance downward, and my stomach dropped with confusion. The girl who piloted my dreams was slender and lean. Her skin was smooth and perfectly unblemished. My scars did not carry with her. Her wrists were dainty, making her hands seem larger. Or maybe I was just used to being built with different proportions. I'd spent my whole life wishing I could be smaller but now that I was it felt sickening. I felt vulnerable in a way I couldn't describe. 
September 26, 2026 at 9:09 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Bekah and Katie are equally likely to go ghost hunting, but Katie has a fixation on not unsettling the dead (she's a medium, so she senses them better than others). Bekah loves it for the thrill and antics of breaking rules and sneaking around to get up to mischief. #QueerPrompts
cjaralore.bsky.social 🌈CJ Aralore @cjaralore.bsky.social · 1d
#QueerPrompts September 26: National Ghost Hunting Day: Who would go ghost hunting (and what would they find)?
Graphics: The background is books. The border has books in the colors of pride flags. Text: "September 2026" on top and "#QueerPrompts" and "Host: @CJAralore" on the bottom, all in a rainbow font. Center text is: #QueerPrompts September 26: National Ghost Hunting Day: Who would go ghost hunting (and what would they find)?
September 26, 2026 at 2:43 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Hey #ArtSky, anyone still into comic book fanart? I don't know if Ghost Rider is still popular but he was always one of my favorites as a kid. Though, I'm biased, I grew up on motorcycles as a kid. #fanart #comicbook #GhostRider #marvel #motorcycle
A high contrast neon, highly detailed illustration of Ghost Rider with glowing accents throughout. The tire of his motorcycle is glowing red hot and burning a white hot streak on the road behind him. He leans over to his left to drag his boney fingernails along the road while laughing maniacally. Behind him is a blue, red, orange, and gold mesa sunset with a blue faded to purple and pink stylized logo of the name 'Ghost Rider' in the right corner. My artist signature 'Siren Bytes '26' is in the upper left corner.
September 26, 2026 at 12:35 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
A good veiled teaser for my WIP's mystery, but Bekah and Logan are more durable than their peers. Katie is the weakest physically compared to them but that does not make her weak. She just lacks the ability to tap into her aggression, but not for long.
#AwesomeCharacters #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🌱🫜 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🪻 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 1d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Welcome to the Intermittent Character Award Ceremonies!👏

Amongst all your characters, who gets the superlative?

Today's award goes to: Most durable!

Who can take a punch, if needed?

Please award them! 🥇

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 25, 2026 at 10:51 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Voices are one of my favorite facets of a character and I love describing them. Whether it's using temperature, metaphor, or comparison, I love animating my character in my readers' minds as clearly as possible. Below is a variety of ways I describe them:
#pretendpanel #Writers #Authors #WriteSky
The Pretend Panel challenge is to find snippets that show how we as a writer describe voice. The following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring a description of voice - Footsteps from the bridge, a sickeningly familiar sound cut through the silence. I silenced my breathing, eyes wide with absolute terror. The back of my neck prickled the same way it did when I passed through a ghost. My skin was cold and my mind's voice was screaming like a tornado.  The Pretend Panel challenge is to find snippets that show how we as a writer describe voice. The following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring a description of voice - "You don't need to be. I just want you to promise me that you'll drop it now that Bekah's home. Traumatic events can reshape the brain, even deleting memories of extreme pain or stress. A lot of studies have been done, but all of them boil down to the same things. Trauma isn't healed by treating the person as if it made them different, it's healed by treating someone as if they are a normal person with healing wounds that will get better. Because they will, eventually," she smiled, leaning towards me over her desk. Her voice was warm and maternal. The Pretend Panel challenge is to find snippets that show how we as a writer describe voice. The following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring a description of voice - "Okay," she conceded. Her voice was smothered and small, like a hurt child. It wasn't her hurt to feel. She was ashamed her actions hurt me, not that she'd done it.
September 25, 2026 at 9:26 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The hard expectation of a HEA moment. YA doesn't need to be rigidly bound the the split of dark/dystopian or cozy only. There can be nuance and an ending being open doesn't mean it's bad or incomplete. But that's just my thoughts!
susansavagelee.bsky.social Susan Savage Lee @susansavagelee.bsky.social · 1d
What do you like the least about your chosen genre? #writingq #WritingCommunity
September 25, 2026 at 8:57 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The #WIPSnip Word of the Day is 'nation' - I went with 'national' here since I had limited options. This scene reveals Katie's thoughts at a vigil for the missing and presumed dead. There's a lot of guilt in being a survivor.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity
The WIP Snip word of the day is 'nation' - the following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring a related form of the word of the day - Echoing announcements came over the sound system calling fans to the stands. They were going to open the game with the national anthem, alma mater song, and a candle lighting ceremony where the life of Logan (Surname) would be honored. It felt weird that they were ignoring the others. As if their bodies being absent was enough to pleasantly float the foolish idea that they'd come home. Optimism had always felt like self sabotage. I'd had so many wonderful things ripped out of my hands or from under my feet that I'd learned to cautiously walk around in life, anticipating the next horrible shock. As much as I tried fighting that instinct, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread whenever I looked at those missing posters. They felt living the way a memory does, not a moment. I knew they weren't coming home.
September 25, 2026 at 5:44 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Literally THE perfect question for my #AwesomeCharacters because major events happen around the fall in the story. Katie is a fall fanatic and loves apple/pumpkin picking, bonfires, and hot cider and lattes. Bekah LOVES haunted houses and drags a reluctant Katie along as much as she can. #WriteSky
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🌱🫜 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🪻 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 2d
Tell me about your #AwesomeCharacters

Well, it is officially fall where I am now! 🍂

So, what do you think your character's favorite fall activity would be?

Apple picking? Leaf walk? Hot cider by the fire? Haunted house?

Cozy, spooky, or other?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 25, 2026 at 12:25 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The #WIPSnip Word of the Day is 'meddle' - I had to get flexible here so I chose the word 'tampered' instead. Running from the cops is hard when they're next door.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity
The WIP Snip word of the day is 'meddle' - I had to get flexible on an alternative word for this challenge prompt so I chose 'tampered' instead - the following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring the word 'tampered' - "You, uh… need a ride?" A familiar voice called as the passenger side window of the SUV rolled down. Looking over with a face of pure dumbfounded shock I saw Detective Deer leaning across her seat towards me in her cruiser. Of course. Who else would it be? I sighed, admitting defeat, and walked over to her vehicle. Better to be forthcoming than put up another attitude. I could get away with it once, but I was not gonna bet twice on tampered dice.
September 24, 2026 at 7:47 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
This question is unexpectedly complicated for my #AwesomeCharacters. Katie starts the story as bi but ends the story as a lesbian. However, other characters are revealed to be bisexual but largely closeted because their world is not safe to be out. It is a drama after all. #WriteSky
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🌱🫜 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🪻 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 3d
Tell me about your #AwesomeCharacters

Happy Bisexual Visibility Day, everyone! 🩷💜💙

Do you have any bisexual characters? Please share them with me today!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 24, 2026 at 1:14 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Moody weather that matches the emotional undertone of a scene is one of my favorites. I also like building an idea of what the world looks like for the reader so they can lean further into the things they can't see or don't know with the narrating character. #Sustember
vampireantihero.com Artemis Quinn 🏳️‍⚧️🎨📚 @vampireantihero.com · 3d
#Sustember | 23

Sorry for my lateness! Brain continues to be scattered. Let's talk atmosphere!

Atmosphere adds a lot to suspense. How do you set the scene for your characters? What important repeating elements set the tone in your atmosphere?

#WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity #WriteSky
A brown graphic with a skeleton holding a sketchbook on a messy desk. It says: Sustember 23 Atmosphere adds a lot to suspense. How do you set the scene for your characters? What important repeating elements set the tone in your atmosphere? Please COMMENT, LIKE, and SHARE others' posts. All genres welcome, so long as you're using suspense or surprise!
September 24, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Reposted by M. Clark
bookishsff.bsky.social
Our Cut of Salt is a brand new lyrical, brutal and powerful Palestinian haunted house tale by @deenahelm.bsky.social, in which Marina confronts the chilling trauma of her country's past by returning to the home her family abandoned during the Nakba.

#Horrorsky
💙📚🪐
A hand holds a copy of the book in a bookshop
September 23, 2026 at 10:03 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Just finished Weapons (2025) and omg what a ride but WOW did the practical gore effects department waste no penny.
Po Shivers
Alt: Po (Kung Fu Panda) stares in shock and silent horror, looking around. The gif is shivering because his face is distorted to exaggerate the eyes and frightening feeling.
static.klipy.com
September 23, 2026 at 9:16 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The sprint didn't happen but the out of this world pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting did! Goodnight all 🌃😴🛌
September 23, 2026 at 8:50 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Gonna be up late baking a pumpkin cream cheese bundt cake, so I may make time for a #writingsprint
#rambling
September 23, 2026 at 6:07 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
The #WIPSnip Word of the Day is 'tumble' but I had to go with 'stumble' on this one. A lighthearted scene as the girls race to class, and perhaps realize things about their friendship.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity
The WIP Snip word of the day is 'tumble' - I didn't have this word in my WIP so I chose 'stumble' - the following is an excerpt from my novel WIP Canary featuring the word of the day - Without a word, Bekah took my hand into hers and pulled me towards the door. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to her touching me. She was a whirlwind of force and there was no telling her no. Having spent years of my life with passive, indecisive people in my life, her assuredness was a magnet. Down the stairs we ran like a gust of wind, ducking and dodging past the kids slowly streaming into the music hall. I yelled that I couldn’t keep up and she just replied, confident as ever, “Yes, you can.” There was no weakness that couldn’t be overcome in her mind. I laughed as he stumbled and ran to our lockers, hastily grabbing things up as the bell rang overhead. Logan only managed to steal a kiss from Bekah as she waved goodbye, heading down towards her end of the school as I took the steps upwards to mine.
September 23, 2026 at 5:35 AM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Late to the party but! My goals for this week are below:

🟢Write the majority of the 3rd act in my novel WIP
🟢Begin loosely mapping major edits once the draft is done
🟢Character art drafting for future promos
#QueerWriters #lgbtqwriters #WritingCommunity
amaralynn.bsky.social AmaraJLynn 🦹 drafting Fire & Feathers @amaralynn.bsky.social · 6d
#queerwriters Monday: Goals Day!

What do you hope to accomplish this week? Can be anything, big or small! Let us know so we can cheer you on!

#WritingCommunity #lgbtqwriters
Background: a plain background with colored pencils along the bottom half. Text: #Queerwriters What are your goals this week? Monday, Saturday, Sunday All LGBTQIAP writers welcome
September 22, 2026 at 8:34 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Hoping to be able to clear the first hurdle wall in writing my last act today, but the uncertainty is powerful. It can feel challenging to transition from one strong story arc to another without riding the wheels of the wagon so to speak.
Spongebob Thinking Hard
ALT: Spongebob Thinking Hard
static.klipy.com
September 22, 2026 at 6:51 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Katie's job is being a student but she's also been saddled with parenting her younger brother while her mom checked out emotionally and mentally. Bekah's job is also a student, but she has given herself a different task but what it is is not revealed until the end of the book.
cometkins.bsky.social Ian Haramaki 🏳️‍⚧️✨ @cometkins.bsky.social · 4d
If your character had any other job than the one they have, what do you think they’d be doing? #WritingPrompt
September 22, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by M. Clark
michaelbroussard.myatproto.social
@beverlyjohnson87.bsky.social is your friendly neighborhood "beta reader" bot, as many have reported. Not a person. Report, block, add to lists.
July 16, 2026 at 8:19 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
My favorite kind of foreshadowing is symbolism and suspicion. Whether it's an animal, object, or motif, I just love an icon that haunts the narrative with foreboding. Other times, it's tiny conversational slips between characters that a true overthinker would catch. #Sustember
vampireantihero.com Artemis Quinn 🏳️‍⚧️🎨📚 @vampireantihero.com · 4d
#Sustember | 22

Let's talk foreshadowing! How do you build it into your work?

Do you keep it subtle? Do you have plans on how to weave it through? Do you find out when your characters do? Let's talk about it!

#WritingCommunity #WritingQ #WritingPrompt
A brown graphic with a skeleton holding a sketchbook on a messy desk. It says: Sustember 22 Foreshadowing is important to suspense. How do you build foreshadowing into your work? Please COMMENT, LIKE, and SHARE others' posts. All genres welcome, so long as you're using suspense or surprise!
September 22, 2026 at 6:42 PM
mcwrites27.bsky.social
Some days you write a sixth of your massive novel and other days you write two sentences and a joke. Yesterday was definitely a day of the latter. #WriteSky #Writing #rambling
September 22, 2026 at 7:44 AM